James R. Donoghue was a Political Science Professor and Director of the University of
Wisconsin Extension Bureau of Government from 1948 to 1965. He was a member of the Wisconsin
Urban Teaching Research Extension Program Faculty Work Group from 1960 to 1965, and became a
senior planning officer for the University of East Africa supported by the Ford Foundation
from 1965 to 1967. His research focused on state and local government, and was funded by the
University of Wisconsin Urban Teaching Research Extension Program. For example, Donoghue
visited cities in 15 states in 1958 and 1959, and interviewed over 300 individuals,
including informed local officials, state officials, and journalists who covered state
affairs for a project entitled "The States and the Urban Problem."
A portion of the collection documents the University of Wisconsin Urban Teaching Research
Extension Program, also known as the Ford Urban Program or the Wisconsin Urban Program. In
December 1959 the Ford Foundation granted $1,000,000 to the University of Wisconsin to
develop an urban extension program over a five year period. The program established new
urban focused curricula on campus, funded research on topics such as urban growth, public
policy, urban public finance, and urban history, and established extension off-campus
teaching, research, consultation, and service. The program focused on three areas in
Wisconsin: Milwaukee, the Fox Valley, and Columbia County. The program was administered by a
six person faculty Executive Committee, a seven member faculty Work Group, and three faculty
Advisory Committees related to instruction, research, and extension.
